Castles in Moonlight

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

In this picture, the quilt top is a combination of blocks from member of Bits and Pieces. I had to add a few strips to make some of the blocks bigger. Then I added the borders. The block at the lower left is the one made for the Ritzy Thimbles quilt guild block exchange.

this was made from a tv table from the Modern quilt guild. You add batting then cotton top. It is for ironing close to where you are sewing when working on lots of piecing. Keeps you from jumping up and down all the time.

There's the top.

I have piles of quilting to do around the room. I keep at it all the time and love seeing some things get done! I can't wait until I get the quilting machine set up in a spot and start to get some of the smaller ones machine quilted. New for me!

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Ok, sometimes, it seems like you are working forever on some projects and then all of a sudden the end is in sight! This one just came out of the frame. I have to quilt out to the edges and binding. It feels good to get the quilting done!

Tried this with part of a wool sweater that the moths had gotten into. Was going to throw it out and the magazine came in time! You put stones or marbles tied into the sweater, then wash it a bunch of times in hot water. Then you take out the stones, and put in bits of batting. cover a notebook! Bubble cover, it was called in the magazine. (Cute gets me every time!)

One that is in the hoop on the table... I keep picking at it.

this just went into the frame! A fun one I did with some charm packs I got at a Christmas meeting! Not much bigger than the frame!

Orphan blocks! The Norris guild had us all bring in odd blocks that we seem to have! And we sorted them into groups that could be sewn up into quilt tops. Then the guild will get them to a long arm quilter. These will be for charities. I'll keep you posted on how this turns out. The star block in the middle is smaller than the rest. So I'll start there and add sashing....

I really hate the grey, gray winter days. I seem to work on very bright colors in the winter. we have had snow flurries today. and they all melted on the road. At least the Daytona 24 hour race was on yesterday and today it finished. Very exciting for us since we go to tracks and drive our car. I'll never get up to those speeds, but I sure understand all they are going through!!! Can't wait for our first track weekend for the year!

Savannah? Any one going to the Modern quilt show!? I'm going with about 10 friends in our group. There are several others that will be there! A quilt show in February is a must! My sanity is slipping!

Got a couple of jelly rolls that need attention! Haven't decided which way to go with that. Just need to sit and stitch them together!

Stay in touch with people through the winter! We all need to hear from others, including me. I would go nuts without Thursday Bee and all my quilting friends!

Thursday, January 26, 2017

That doesn't mean I haven't been working! I just have been going crazy around here with all that has been going on. The one in the frame is coming along nicely. Now I realize that I don't have the next one basted! AH! I was going to take it to bee, but had too many errands to do first. If you don't get there early, then the tables get used. Course, someone brought in donuts because it was her birthday! About the only rule that Thursday Bee has, is that if it is your birthday, you bring the cake! Because we will all forget who has birthdays, and you can have the kind of cake or goodies that you like! So today it was wonderful donuts! And I didn't have time to get a lunch, so I was saved by the donuts!

I replaced a zipper in my favorite jacket! Now the zipper was always a pain to get it to start, and then it pretty much stopped. I don't mind doing zippers, but it takes time and isn't fun. But it's done.

I went in and took the introduction class to my new quilting machine! It's a PQ1500 turbo. It does 1500 stitches per minute! So you can really screw up anything really fast! I really wanted someone to show me the correct way to thread it. It is a different way to do that. and the bobbin case goes in sideways instead of dropping down from the top. Very interesting. Even while the demo was going on, the thread in the bobbing case got messed up. So I got to see how to clear that out! I go to the Mid South Sewing for all this stuff. Nice women there who really know what they are talking about. I also get one free cleaning this first year since we bought it there. It was my Christmas Present!!!

I did make a list of several projects that were on the table and got those done. Felt good to check a couple of things off that! It keeps me focused to clear off the table too. Wasn't real big things. I had cut out a simple dress a couple of years ago and wanted to have some trim around the neck. Did that and put some more around the hem line. Looks cute. Tried it on.... I should have finished it 2 years ago.

Did get 2 other things done and out of here. Though the table still seems to be just as full!

At Bits and Pieces meeting, I had missed December's meeting when the secret pals were told. Mine was Diane! And she had the calendar of the men behind the quilts! She did show it around at the December meeting and I missed out on all the laughter. But I took it to Bee and got a whole room of laughter today! It's just fun!

So another month has flown past. Plenty more to do. The gray skies are bothering everyone around here. I got out the "Happy Light" and had that on while working on a quilt on the table. It's a very calming feeling after a while. Very nice. I don't know how to quilt any faster. Hence the quilting machine. So I'm going to get started using that for smaller projects. My hands just can't keep up with me any longer. I'll still quilt...just slower. Damned old age sucks!

Have fun! Cut up all that pretty fabric and make pretty things. Play with bright colors in the winter gray time. Laugh with your friends and eat donuts! And pizza, and chocolate....
Patty

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Finished! Been dragging this one to bee for months and picking at it. It was 3 blocks in a panel and I cut them apart. Then made the blocks to fill in around the panels of flowers.

Each panel has a white flower and a colorful one. the stems you can't really see in the pictures, but I quilted along them.

the squares, I just quilted easily around the small square, with the quilting lines 1/3 around each side. No marking.

Ok, then I got several charm packs at one of the quilts' Christmas parties... and they aren't my colors, but I do like to try new things. Even new colors. Sewed them together.

Then you cut them apart with a special template. You can see the edge that is cut.

And you sew them back together again and get this is what you get! The first time I saw this, it was called "Square Dance". And I have a book... somewhere in this room.... And I have another template that was too big for the size of the charm packs. So I made another template. It was easier than going through the over 400 books that I have!

And it came out like this. (There are also several other projects waiting on the design wall for time and inspiration to line up!)

Add a couple of borders and some little blocks in the bottom corner! Ta Da! And it's basted and ready to go... and it's in the pile of ready to go items.

This is for the Quilter's Treasure's Challenge. "Go Green" theme. It got done just in time with some urging from my sister! She said to get it done! Not a great picture, but again, it's done. and sent in.

OK! This is one that I had fun putting together from my scrap bags. Did add a few bits from my stash. Basted it and it's in the frame!

See? And I'm doing some simple quilting lines going in different directions. Guessing as I go along!

This panel of the dragon, I got in Chattanooga at the quilt show. Only thing I bought there. I have several pieces of fabrics that are for making kimonos. That's the wide blue on the left and bottom. Just seemed to go with it all.

Basted and (you guessed it,) ready to go! it's in the cupboard with the stack.

Here's the dragon! He's wonderful!

I'm quilting on this one. More to come as I go along on this.

Did you know that I love to decopage? This is the second guitar case that I'm doing...one at a time! And I use them as suitcases. No I don't play... I'm so bad on every instrument that I have ever tried. I best stick with fabric and colors.

AND I ordered the blues to try the Van Gogh challenge put on by the Cherrywood company. They dye all the fabrics and they look like swede. That is due by August 1. Since I will be out of the country around that time... I had better get this duck to the front of the line.

So I thought I hadn't gotten anything done lately! Then I emptied the camera, and omg! I have been working. Just that things have kept me spinning lately. Too much to go into, and family stuff. I always thought that when I "do" a blog, that I would try to keep it to sewing and not much family stuff.

Sometimes I sew to work through things. My mind either empties, or I work things out on what is going on. I guess it's getting emptied out! But if I keep this up, I will have way too many quilts to even keep in the storage room.

I have a friend who is selling off most of her fabrics, quilting supplies, etc. So I can tell I will be bringing things home soon. Do I need more? Heck NO! But she has great taste, and can no longer keep quilting. Hands have a way of making us stop. So she will feel better if these things go to other quilters and they will enjoy them. And she could use the money for other things.

Life is too short. Cut the good fabric and have fun making beautiful things. Don't worry about leaving things behind. No one will forget you. You can always make something really, I mean REALLY ugly just to scare the crap out of someone clearing your things out! I have a friend who has hidden a $100 bill in her sewing room, just to have her sister check through everything! I told her it should have been two $50 just to keep her going!

I haven't been great at keeping up with this blog. I did so well when I started. But I do keep quilting and will show you how some things end up!

Saturday, January 7, 2017

I haven't finished telling you about our trip! There was a VW from Alaska and it has the license plates where the rust has gone through. If you have collected any of the plates from the shop hops, here's an idea what to make!

The rocks in Joshua Tree National Park/forest were wonderful. I kept seeing faces of old men who seemed to be sleeping or laughing. Can you see it?

Side shot!

Meer cat?

Turtle head?

Robot?

Now at the zoo. Just love the flamingoes. When they raise their wings, there are black feathers underneath! I never knew that!

In one bathroom, the doors were painted!

Very cool.

Then to Balboa park the last day. This is the artist center.

Saw three museums. This was the photography one. Some were pictures of fields from above.

Cool moon shot!

then in the folk art museum, I loved this doll house! I got the book on it. Everything is made from things this woman picked up in the woods and outside!

There are around 60 little people on it and 3 dragons.

Then the little egg people!

just cool stuff from the world!

These wall is the collection of stamps to do batik fabrics!

Downstairs was the collect from one man who made all this wonderful quricky furniture.

Such fun!

The last museum was a model train one. HUGE! place. several rooms of setups. Each one taken care of by a different group of train people.

Each really paid attention to detail!

This was a train like my brother had. Course, he ran his off the track several times to see how far it would go!

One way up on a high shelf.

You can see the man behind this so you can tell the size of this train! This was a very interesting museum!

Outside of the buildings, I had to take pictures. Great workmanship on the buildings.

The details were great.

This fig tree had a fence around it. Very old.

Roots look like snakes!

Another shot of the artist area.

Lots to see there!

I think that catches you up on the trip! Came home with nothing ready for Christmas at all. So in about 10 days, we got a few things and had a small one just Terry and I. Then my sister came down with her hubby. Had another small one and hung out with them for a couple of days. They left after New Year's Eve and missed the snow! They live in New Hampshire. Got home to some up there!

I got a new quilting machine for Christmas! Got to take a class to make sure I don't gum it up with thread balls! But I figured with all the quilt tops that I have made, I need a quicker way to get them done. Did get one basted up and in the frame. Still will hand quilt, but my hands are really bugging me now.

Also got the Yellow Sub by Leggo! And I love it! Still a big Beatles fan. It's in the living room by the TV.

I also got the challenge piece done and sent off for the Quilter's Treasure Challenge. My sister encouraged me to get it finished! Thanks Laura!!! So that will be at Pigeon Forge show, I think....

We are "snowed in". Meaning that we got 2" of snow and the town won't get into our neighborhood until tomorrow. We are so low on their list of roads! But that's ok! I'm getting to do things that I haven't had time to work on... like this blog! And several things to make!

Hope you all had a safe and healthy time. Now to start off this year, do you have any resolutions? I did last year. To make a quilt top a month. Well, I made about 9...and now what? I should quilt them. But I think for a resolution, I would like to get a jar or box and put in a daily slip of paper that tells what good thing(s) happen each day. Or each week the rate I'm going. Maybe put them on a piece of fabric with the date and make that all into the "good things in 2017" quilt! Hey! There's and idea! Need to get some fabric going....